Speaking on local television, Ma Ying-jeou said: "We will make further arrangements and inspections to avoid this kind of disaster from occurring again,"

Rescue authorities said police and soldiers had been drafted in to help firefighters after the midnight explosion and blaze gutted a district in the port city of Kaohsiung packed with shops and apartment buildings.

At least 25 people were killed by the gas leak, including four firefighters and 267 were injured by the blast.

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A series of underground gas explosions in Taiwan have killed 20 people and injured 270 more.

Five firefighters, who were investigating reports of a gas leak at the time, were among the dead, the National Fire Agency said

Wreckage of vehicles are seen amongst debris after an explosion in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Credit: Reuters

Taiwan's premier Jiang Yi-huah said at least five blasts shook the streets of Kaohsiung, a south-western port city of 2.8 million.

The source of the leak had not yet been located but Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu said several petrochemical companies had pipelines built along the sewage system in Chian-Chen district, which has both factories and residential buildings.

"Our priority is to save people now. We ask citizens living along the pipelines to evacuate," Mr Chen told TVBS television.

A witness has recorded what appears to be the the moments after a series of blasts in Taiwan. The footage shows jets of fire burning in the road and an abandoned motor scooter. This video has not been independently verified by ITV News.

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Taiwan authorities received calls from residents in Kaohsiung's Cianjhen district about suspected gas leaks, AFP reported.
The leak triggered a series of explosions that were powerful enough to rip open roads and overturn cars.

The fire agency said in a statement: "The local fire department received calls of gas leaks late Thursday and then there was a series of blasts around midnight affecting a area of two to three square kilometres."
Emergency workers rushed to the scene and were removing bodies from the area.